PERKINS  LIBRARY 

Duke   University 


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Kare  Dooks 


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A 

SCRIPTURAL  VIEW 

OP 
THS  DOCTRINE  OF 


wsr^ikmB^STA^^a  ^asrs 


OR,    THE 


BLASPHEMY  AOAINST  THE  HOLY  GHOST/ 


EXAMINED    AND    EXPLAINED. 


BY  JOSEPH  M'KEE, 

Minister  of  the  Gospel. 


Prove  all  things ;  liold  fast  that  which  is  good;"— 1st  Thess.  iv.  21. 


BAIiTIlVEORIi: 

Pnuted  for  the  Author,  and  sold  by  John  J.  Harrod.  No  172,  Mmrkel 
Street,  Baltimore. 

1834. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act   of  Congress,  by  Joseph  McKee,  in  the 
Clerk'*  office  of  the  District  court  of  Maryland. 


PRSFACXS. 


n-' 


In  presenting  this  little  treatise  to  the  public  I 
beg  leave  (in  accordance  with  common  usage,J  to 
make  a  few  remarks  concerning  it.  * 

In  the  course  of  my  ministerial  labours  I  have 
observed  that  the  five  following  opinions  concerning 
the  probationary  state  of  man,  have  their  advocates 
and  supporters — each  of  which  has  no  small  in* 
fluence  on  the  moral  character  of  its  adherents. 

1.  The  final  destiny  of  all  men,  was  unalterably 
fixed  from  eternity:  some  are  elected  to  everlasting 
life,  and  the  rest  are  reprobated  to  eternal  perdition. 
This  doctrine  is  held  by  all  the  rigid  Calvinists. 

2.  The  whole  of  Adam's  race  will  be  ultimately 
saved;  for,  hell  is  only  a  place  of  temporary  pun- 
ishment,  designed  to  prepare  its  inhabitants  for  tne 
heavenly  regions.  This  opinion  is  supported  by  the 
Universal  ists. 

3.  Those  who  die  in  venial  sin  shall  be  purified 
from  all  its  dross  in  the  flames  of  Purgatory  after 
death,  and  then  ascend  in  triumph  to  the  mansions 
of  felicity.  This  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Roman 
Catholics. 

4.  Some  vile  sinners  either  because  of  the  num- 
ber or  magnitude  of  their  sins,  or  for  some  other 
cause  become  unpardonable;  and,  though  enjoying  the 
temporal  benefits  of  this  life,  are  as  sure  of  hell  as 
if  they  were  literally  in  its  flames.  This  opinion  is 
entertained  by  many,  both  among  the  Methodists  and 
other  Protestant  Sects. 

5.  All  the  human  race  are  in  a  state  of  proba- 
tion from  the  time  they  are  capable  of  exercising 
reason  till  the  soul  leaves  the  body.  This  is  the 
doctrine  which  is  maintained  generally  by  the  most 
learned  and  intelligent  in  all  Protestant  Churches; 


IV 

juad  is  me  principle  which  I  have  endeavoured  to 
illustrate  and  defend  in  the  following  pages,  because 
(i  b€ilieve  it  to  be  the  only  one  which  is  in  perfect 
accordance  with  revelation.  With  the  deleterious 
.effects  of  the  sentiments  ofthe  Calvinists,  Universal- 
ists,  and  Roman  Catholics,  I  have  nothing  to  do  at 
present. 

I  have  seen  a  great  many  pious  people  who  were 
greatly  troubled  in  mind  from  time  to  time  concern- 
ing"  the  doctrine  of  unpardonable  sin,  who  ha,d  no 
means  in  their  power  of  coming  to  any  clear  and 
satisfactory  conclusion  concerning  it. 

From  this  consideration  I  was  brought  to  lament 
that  some  pamphlet  was  not  published  on  this  sub- 
ject, in  order  to  fre.e  it  of  its  embarrasments  and 
render  it  easily  understood  by  those  who  had  neither 
time  nor  means  to  give  it  mature  consideration. 

The  following  little  performance  is  designed  to 
answer  this  purpose;  how  far  I  have  succeeded  in 
accompHshing  the  intended  object  is  not  for  me  to 
say:  but,  if  this  should  be  the  means  of  rendering 
any  assistance  to  the  feeble  followers  of  the  great 
Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  I  shall  consider  that  my  la- 
bour has  not  been  in  vain.  And  now  I  commit  it 
to  the  direction  of  the  great  Author  of  all  good, 
praying  that  he  may  make  it  a  blessing  to  many  of 
Jus  sincere  followers. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


THK 


Boctrine  of  Tnpardonable  Sin. 


Of  all  the  subjects  contained  in  the  sys- 
tem of  Christianity,  no  one,  perhaps,  has 
been  less  understood,  by  believers,  than  the 
Blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost;  and, 
no  subject  has  ever  produced  such  terrible 
torture  of  mind,  or  created  such  dark  and 
gloomy  reasonings  in  the  understanding  of 
thousands  of  the  sincere  followers  of  Christ, 
as  this  has  done.  There  is  hardly  a  true 
christian  to  be  found,  but  has  felt  at  some 
time  of  life,  awful  fears  and  appre- 
hensions lest  he  had  committed  the  un- 
pardonable sin,  (so  called,)  blasphemed  a- 
gaimt  the  Holy  Gliost^  or  lived  out  his  day 
of  grace.  And  many  of  the  ministers  of 
the  gospel  themselves,  (in  consequence  of 
inattention  to  that  point,)  appear  to  know 


6 


as  little  of  the  subject  as  the  common  peo- 
ple; and,  consequently  are  ill  qualified  to 
correct  the  errors  or  inform  the  judgment 
of  their  audience.  Some  of  them  have 
never  formed  any  fixed  idea  of  the  subject, 
while  others  have  adopted,  without  proper 
precaution,  erroneous,  inconsistent  and  of- 
ten contradictory  notions  about  it,  lo  which 
they  adhere  with  the  utmost  violence. 

In  order  to  set  this  highly  important 
subject  in  as  luminous  a  point  of  view  as 
possible,  and  to  bring  it  down  on  a  level 
with  the  capacity  of  all,  that  it  may  be  gen- 
erally understood  and  rendered  as  satisfac- 
tory as  possible,  I  shall  investigate  it  in  the 
following  order. 

First  I  shall  briefly  investigate  the  va- 
rious opinions  which  divines  have  propa- 
gated and  defended  respecting  the  blasphe- 
my against  the  Divine  Spirit. 

Secondly.  I  shall  minutely  examine  the 
text  in  Mat  xii.  31.  and  shew  what  we  are 
to  understand  by  the  blasphemy  against 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

Thirdly.  I  shall  briefly  examine  all 
those  texts  which  have  been  taken  to  prove 
that  living  men  may  have  committed  un- 
pardonable sin,  or  lived  out  their  day  of 


grace;  and  shew  that  they  contain  no  such 
doctrine. 

Foartlily.  I  shall  produce  a  variety  of 
arguments  from  scripture  and  reason  to 
establish  the  fact,  that  no  man  ever  did,  or 
ever  can,  outlive  his  day  of  grace,  by  the 
commission  of  any  sin  or  blasphemy  what- 
ever. 

Fifth.  I  shall  deduce  some  inferences 
from  the  whole  subject  by  Avay  of  conclu- 
sion and  caution. 

In  accordance  with  the  plan  which  1 
have  proposed  for  the  examination  and  il- 
lustration of  this  subject,  I  shall 

First^  briefly  investigate  the  various 
opinions  which  divines  have  propagated 
and  defended  respecting  the  blasphemy  a- 
gainst  the  Divine  Spirit. 

The  sentiments  and  opinions  of  men  on 
this  subject  are  very  numerous,  and  so 
greatly  diversified,  that  it  is  very  difficult 
to  collect  them,  or  when  collected  to  make 
a  proper  discrimination  between  them. — 
The  following  are  the  principal  opinions  a- 
broad  in  the  world,  concerning  this  matter, 
that  have  come  to  my  knowledge. 

1.  Dr.  Chalmers  has  devoted  a  whole 
discourse  to  the  investigation  of  thjs  sub- 


8 


ject.  But  his  language  is  so  perfectly 
bombastical  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for 
any  common  reader  to  find  out  his  opinion 
of  the  subject,  or  even  to  know  whether  he 
had  any  opinion  at  all.  He  assumes  the 
existence  of  the  doctrine  as  a  fact,  and  en- 
ters upon  it,  and  travels  round  as  in  a  cir- 
cle, and  comes  out  where  he  entered,  and 
so  leaves  the  subject  without  giving  any« 
information  concerning  it  whatever.  Such 
discourses,  however  musical  and  sonorous 
they  may  be  to  the  ears  of  a  vain  and  car- 
nal audience,  it  is  certain  they  cannot  af- 
ford much  instruction  to  the  mind,  or  im- 
provement to  the  heart,  of  a  truly  devoted 
christian.  Consequently  we  may  dismiss 
the  Dr's.  theory  as  one  that  will  never  do 
much  good  or  evil. 

2.  Of  all  the  interpretations  that  have 
ever  been  given  of  the  text  in  Mat.  xii.  31. 
that  produced  by  the  Roman  Catholics  is 
the  most  ridiculous  and  absurd.  While 
they  hold  there  is  such  a  thing  as  blasphe- 
my against  i\\e  Holy  Spirit  that  never  can 
be  forgiven,  they  strenuo'usly  contend  that 
the  text  proves  to  a  demonstration  that 
some  sins,  by  them  termed  venial,  have 
been,  and  still  may  be  forgiven,  in  a  future 


9 


state  of  existence;  than  which,  a  more  pre- 
posterous and  ill-founded  doctrine  was  ne- 
ver received  orcredicted  by  any  set  of  men 
possessing  common  sense  or  information. 

3.  The  celebrated  Mr.  Russell  has  oc- 
cupied one  of  his  famous  Seven  Sermons 
in  descanting  on  the  nature  of  the  un par- 
do  liable  sin.  But  the  good  man  did  not 
iinderstand  the  nature  of  the  sin  whereof 
he  wrote.  He  seems  at  a  great  loss  how 
to  find  out  what  the  unpardonable  sin  is: 
at  length  he  concludes  that  it  must  consist 
of  light  in  the  head,  and  malice  in  the 
heart.  He  remarks,  that  Peter's  sin  was 
attended  with  light  in  the  head,  but  it 
wanted  malice  in  the  heart;  and  Paul's  sin 
had  malice  in  tiie  heart,  but  no  light  in  the 
head;  therefore,  neither  Peter  nor  Paul 
committed  unpardonable  sin.  But  if  light 
and  malice  had  come  together  they  would 
have  rendered  the  sin  unpardonable.  Such 
is  the  theory  of  Mr.  Russell.  But  this  is 
as  far  from  the  true  doctrine  of  unpardon- 
able sin  as  the  north  pole  is  from  the 
south.  No  degree  of  either  light  or  ma- 
lice, or  of  both,  however  co nbined,  could 
Bver  prevent  the  salutary  eifects  of  the  a- 
toning  blood  if  the  sinner  would  only  hum- 


10 

ble  himself  under  the  hand  of  God  and 
seek  earnestly  the  Divine  favour  by  faith 
and  prayer. 

4.  Mr.  Wesley  thinks  that  the  blasphe- 
my against  the  Holy  Spirit  consisted  in 
"ascribing  the  miracles  to  the  power  of  the 
devil  which  Christ  wrought  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  that,  consequent- 
ly the  Jews,  who  had  such  ocular  demon- 
strations of  the  power  of  God  in  the  doc- 
trines and  miracles  of  Christ,  alone  could 
be  guilty  of  this  sin,  which  could  not  be 
forgiven  in  this  world  nor  in  the  world  to 
come.  This  phraseology,  he  says,  was 
proverbial  among  the  Jews  and  signified  a 
thing  that  could  never  be  done.  He  won- 
ders how  it  happens  that  all  men  do  not 
see,  at  once,  this  to  be  the  true  meaning  of 
our  Lord's  words.  But  it  is  to  be  remem- 
bered that  there  is  not  the  slightest  indica- 
tion in  the  text  that  the  Jews  ever  commit- 
ted this  sin;  or,  that  it  was  even  possible  to 
commit  it  at  that  time-  If  we  turn  to  Acts 
1.  38.  we  will  find  that  Peter,  an  Apostle, 
full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  addressing  the 
Jews,  a  few  months  after  they  had  commit- 
ted the  supposed  blasphemy,  commanded 
everyone  of  them  to  repent  and  be  baptized 


11 


in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins;  declaring  with  the  same  breath 
that  they  should  receive  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  conclusion  we  must  necessarily  arrive 
at  from  a  mature  consideration  of  all  these 
circumstances  is  irresistible;  namely,  that 
the  Jews  had  not,  at  that  time,  committed 
unpardonable  sin.  This  sentiment  I  feel 
in  duty  bound  to  embrace  with  all  due  de- 
ference to  the  extensive  learning  and  deep 
piety  of  so  great  a  man  as  Mr.  Wesley. 

5.  Dr.  Clarke  thinks  that  the  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Spirit  consists  "  in  a  per- 
son's obstinately  attributing  those  works  to 
the  devil,  which  he  had  the  fullest  evidence 
could  be  wrought  only  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,"  and  dogmatically  asserts  that,  this, 
and  nothing  else,  is  the  sin  against  the 
Holy  Spirit.  "Here  the  matter  is  made 
clear,"  says  he,  "beyond  the  smallest  doubt, 
— the  unpardonable  sin,  as  some  term  it,  is 
neither  less  nor  more  than  ascribing  the 
miracles  Christ  wrought  by  the  power  of 
God,  to  the  spirit  of  the  devil."  He  fur- 
thermore states,  that  the  phrase,  "neither 
in  this  world,  neither  in  the  world  to 
come,"  means,  neither  in  this  (Jewish)  dis- 
pensation, nor  in  that  (Christian)  dispen- 


12 

sation  which  is  lo  come.     He  thinks  (hat 
the  Jews,  who  committed  this  sin,  might 
have  been  pardoned  upon  their  sincere  re- 
pentance and  faith,  as  to  the  eternal  pun- 
ishment of  the  soul;  but,  they  should  not 
be  forgiven  as  to  the  temporal  punishment 
of  the  body;  but,  should    most  certainly 
suffer  the  destruction  of  the  body,  either  in 
the  Jewish  or  Christian  age,  as  a  punish- 
ment for  so  flagrant  an  otfence.     I  am  free 
to   confess  that  I   cannot  accord  with   the 
Dr's.  views  of  this  deeply  interesting  sub- 
ject; though  it  must  be  conceded  that  there 
is  a  great  deal  of  ingenuity  and  nice  criti- 
cism manifested  in  it.     I  can   see   nothing 
in  the  text  to  justify  the  notion,  that  the 
Jews  blasphemed  against  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Nor  can    I   see  any  propriety  in  our  Sa- 
viour's affirming  that  this  sin  could  never 
be  forgiven,  if  he  only  meant   the  death  of 
the  body;  for,  this    is  common  to  all  the' 
servants  of  God  except  Enoch  and  Elijah, 
who    were  ti'anslated   to  heaven    without 
tasting  death.     But,  according  to  the  Dr's. 
interpretation,  the  whole  of  this  awful  sub- 
ject is  reduced  to  a  mere  nothing!  the  tem- 
poral death  of  the  body!     I  think  it  must 
be  obvious  to  every  attentive  reader  of  the 


13 


holy  scriptures,  that  there  is  something 
more  horrific  in  the  text  than  Ihe  Jiteral 
destruction  of  the  body.  See  Clarke  ii> 
loco. 

6.  Dr.  Coke  is  fully  of  the  opinion  thai 
the  Jews  did  not  commit  the  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  were  likely  to 
commit  it  on,  or  after,  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost, if  they  persisted  in  that  persecuting 
spirit  and  obduracy  of  heart,  which  they 
manifested  when  they  saw  our  Lord's  mi- 
racles. Tne  Dr.  thinks  our  Lord's  words 
in  the  text  were  intended  as  a  caution  to 
the  Jews,  and  might  be  paraphrased  nearly 
as  follows: — "Since  it  is  manifest  that  I 
perform  my  miracles  by  the  power  of  God, 
you  should  not  ascribe  them  to  the  devil, 
yet  this  blasphemy  may  be  forgiven  you, 
because  you  may  repent  on  receiving  strong- 
er proofs  of  my  mission  from  God,  when 
the  powerful  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
on  the  minds  of  men  after  my  resurrection 
shall  be  manifest,  then  the  foundation  of 
your  prejudices  will  be  removed;  but  if 
you  continue  to  affirm  maliciously  that  his 
gracious  operations  on  the  hearts  of  men 
are  wrought  by  the  power  of  the  devil,  as 


14 


you  have  done  concerning  my  miracles, 
you  can  never  be  pardoned  or  saved,  be- 
cause there  is  no  other  means  afforded  for 
your  conviction  and  conversion  in  all  the 
economy  of  the  grace  of  God."  To  this 
sentiment  agrees  the  doctrine  inculcated  in 
John  Hale's  Tracts  and  Matthew  Henry's 
Commentary.  And  Dr.  Coke  affirms,  that 
Dr.  Whitby  has  proved  unanswerably,  that 
this  is  the  true  interpretation  of  the  pas- 
sage in  question.  And  to  this  exposition 
and  view  of  the  subject,  I  have  no  objection 
to  make.  I  wish,  however,  to  state  dis- 
tinctly, once  for  all,  that  I  consider  the 
phrases  '^Blasphemy  against  the  Holy 
Ghost^'' — "  Unpardonable  si?i,"— and  '-Lw- 
ing  out  one^s  day  of  grace^'' — so  nearly 
connected  in  signification  that  they  cannot 
be  separated,  for  they  are  all  one,  as  to 
their  effects  upon  the  unfortunate  indivi- 
dual, excluding  him  from  the  possibility  of 
repentance,  pardon  or  eternal  life.  I  may 
therefore,use  them  indiscriminately  through- 
out these  pages.  The  proposition  I  wish 
to  lay  down  and  vindicate  throughout  this 
pamphlet,  is  this — no  man  ever  did  live,  or 
can  live,  after  committing  unpardonable  sin, 
or  living  out  his  day  o^  grooo-,  Knf  all  mon^ 


15 


indiscriminately,  are  in  a  stale  of  probation 
so  Jong  as  tliey  live. 

Secondly.  I  shall  minutely  investigate 
the  text  in  Matt,  xii,  31.  and  shew  what  v/e 
are  to  understand  by  the  blasphemy  against 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  order  to  understand  the  words  of  this 
text,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  on  what 
occasion  they  were  spoken.  It  appears 
from  the  preceding  part  of  this  chapter, 
that  the  people  brought  a  demoniac  to  our 
Lord  that  he  might  dispossess  the  evil 
spirit.  Our  Saviour  being  moved  with 
compassion  for  the  afflicted  individual,  ex- 
erted his  divine  power  in  casting  out  the 
unclean  spirit.  The  immediate  conse- 
quences were,  the  demoniac  who  was  for- 
merly both  blind  and  dumb,  both  saw  and 
spake,  and  the  people,  on  seeing  such  a 
signal  display  of  the  13ivine  power,  believed 
Jesus  to  be  the  true  Messiah,  sent  from 
heaven  to  accomplish  the  salvation  of  man- 
kind. The  Pharisees,  excited  with  indig- 
nation on  seeing  the  effects  of  the  miracle 
on  the  multitude,  maliciusly  insinuated  that 
our  blessed  Saviour  was  in  compact  with 
the  devil,  and  malevolently  asserted  that  he 
did  his  miracles  by  the  power  of  Beelze- 


16 


bub,  the  chief  of  the  devils.  But  our  Lord, 
knowing  their  thoughts,  saw  that  this  vile 
misrepresentation  sprung  rather  from  the 
malice  of  their  hearts  than  the  weakness  of 
their  understandings;  and  by  the  most 
clear  and  unanswerable  arguments  refuted 
their  vile  calumny,  so  as  to  leave  them 
not  a  word;  after  which,  by  way  of  cau- 
tion and  forewarning,  he  spake  to  them  the 
celebrated  words  which  gave  rise  to  the 
subject  contained  in  these  sheets.  That 
we  may  have  a  more  complete  view  of  this 
text,  I  shall  place  in  a  juxtaposition,  the 
words  as  they  are  recorded  by  the  three 
Evangelists. 

MatL  xii.  31,32. 

Wherefore  I  say 
unto  you,  all  man- 
ner of  sin  and  blas- 
phemy shall  be  for- 
given unto  men-,  but 
the  blasphemy 

against  the  Holy 
Ghost  shall  not  be 
forgiven  unto  men. 

And  whosoever 
speaketh  a  word 
against  the  Son  of 
man,  it  shall  be  for- 
given him;  but 
whosoever  speak- 
eth against  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost,  it  shall 
not  be  for,^iven 
him,  neither  in  this 
world,  neither  in 
the  world  to  come  • 


Mark  Hi,  28,  29. 
Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  all  sins  shall 
be  forgiven  unto 
the  sons  of  men 
and  blasphemies 
wherewith  soever 
they  shall  blas- 
pheme: But,  he  that 
shall  blaspheme 
against  the  Holy 
Ghost  hath  never 
forgiveness;  but  is 
in  danger  of  eter- 
nal damnation. 


Luke  xii.  10. 

And  whosoever 
shall  speak  a  word 
against  the  Son  of 
man,  it  sliall  be  for- 
given him, but  unto 
him  that  blasphem- 
eth  against  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost  it  shall 
not  be  forgiven 
him. 


17 


If  we  carefully  analyze  this  subject  as  re- 
lated by  the  three  Evangelists,  we  will  find 
that  it  contains  two  sins,  one  committed 
against  the  Son  of  man,  and  the  other 
against  iJw  Holy  Ghost.  The  one  against 
the  Son  of  man  can  be  forgiven,  but  the 
one  against  the  Holy  Ghost  cannot  be  for- 
given- But  how  does  it  happen  that  one 
sin  is  so  much  greater  than  the  other: — In 
general,  the  enormity  of  sin  increases  in 
proportion  to  the  dignity  of  the  person 
against  whom  it  is  committed;  but,  if  we 
admit  this  rule  in  the  present  case,  it  will 
favor  the  heresy  of  the  Arians,  by  repre- 
senting Jesus  Christ,  who  is  here  called 
the  Son  of  man,  as  being  inferior  to  the 
Holy  Ghost  While  the  whole  scriptures 
go  to  prove  that  our  blessed  Saviour,  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  the  Father  are  one  undi- 
vided Jehovah,  equal  in  their  nature  and 
divine  perfections,  being  infinite,  eternal, 
and  unchangeable  in  all  their  incommuni- 
cable properties.  Sin  of  any  kind  is 
neither  more  nor  less  than  the  violation  of 
a  law.  The  divine  law  was  equally  de- 
vised, sanctioned,  and  maintained  by  the 
three  persons  of  the  ever  blessed  Trinity; 
2* 


18 


therefore,  it  is  equally  the  law  of  the  Fa- 
ther, the  law  of  the  Son ,  and  the  law  of 
the  Holy  Spirit;  consequently,  it  is  abso- 
lutely impossible  to  sin  against  the  Father, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  retain  the  favor  of 
the  Son  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  sin  against  the  Son  and  retain  the 
favor  of  the  Father  and  the  Divine  Spirit. 
It  IS  impossible  to  sin  against  the  Spirit 
and  retain  the  favor  of  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  Sin  of  any  kind  or  degree  whatever, 
is  equally  offensive  to  the  three  divine  per- 
sons, and,  of  course,  merits  their  equal 
disapprobation.  Hence,  there  is  no  sin 
that  can  be  committed  any  more  against 
one  person  of  the  Trinity  than  against 
another.  Every  sin,  in  itself,  merits  eter- 
nal banishment  from  God.  But  how  are 
we  to  account  for  the  apparent  difference 
between  the  sin  against  the  Son  of  man, 
and  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  men- 
tioned in  the  text?  It  does  not  relate  to 
the  person  of  the  Son,  nor  the  person  of 
the  Holy  Ghost;  but  it  refers  to  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  Son,  and  the  dispensation 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  dispensation  of 
the  Son  of  man  includes  all  that  period  of 
time  from  his  birth  till  the  time  of  his  as- 


19 


cension  into  heaven.  The  dispensation  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  commenced  at  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  and  still  continues,  and  must 
necessarily  last  till  the  end  of  the  world, 
as  there  is  no  other  dispensation  to  succeed 
it.  The  Pharisees  sinned  against  the  Son 
of  man;  that  is,  they  would  not  he  con- 
vinced by  the  doctrines  and  miracles  of  our 
blessed  Saviour,  but  continued  in  a  state  of 
unbelief  and  obstinate  rebellion  during  his 
dispensation  on  the  earth.  They  might 
be  forgiven  because  they  were  about  to  en- 
ter  into  another  dispensation,  which  w^ould 
atford  still  more  powerful  and  eftectual 
means  for  their  conviction  and  conver- 
sion. 

The  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  which 
the  Pharisees  were  forewarned,  was  not  in 
thought,  nor  in  deed,  but  in  ivord^  called 
'^Speaking  against  the  Holy  Ghost,"  ''•Blas- 
pheming the  Holy  Ghost."  The  word 
Bx«e-(^r,/x.a  signifies  wounding  another's  re- 
putation, by  circulating  evil  reports  and 
vile  calumny.  The  word  blasphemy  in 
general,  when  applied  to  the  Deity,  consists 
in  ascribing  any  thing  to  Him  unbecoming 
the  perfection  of  his  divine  nature,  or  de- 
tracting from  Him  that  power  or  goodness 


20 

which  properly  belongs  to  Him,  or  in  as- 
cribing that  to  the  creature  which  is  only 
due  to  the  Creator. — Rom.  ii,  25.  When 
applied  to  man,  it  signifies  the  hurting  or 
wounding  of  a  person's  reputation  by  cir- 
culating evil  reports.  The  original  word 
Bxao-?)njuia  is  translated  "cvil  speaking."  Eph. 
iv,  31. — "railing."  I  Tim.  vi,  4. — and 
"railing  accusation."  Jude  9.  And  to  be 
blasphemed  is  to  "be  slanderously  report- 
ed." Rom.  iii,  8.— "defamed."  1  Cor.  iv. 
13.— and  "evil  spoken  of."  1  Cor.  x,  30. 
The  Jews  wounded  our  Lord's  reputation 
by  wickedly  calumniating  him,  and  thereby 
sinned  throughout  his  dispensation.  He 
warned  them  not  to  act  so  concerning  the 
Holy  Spirit  after  his  ascension,  assuring 
them  that  if  they  would  they  should  never 
be  forgiven.  The  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost,  I  take  to  be  neither  more  nor  Jess 
than  a  continual  unbelief  and  obstinate  re- 
sistance of  his  gracious  operations  till 
death;  it  then,  and  not  till  then,  becomes 
unpardonable.  The  reason  it  is  unpardon- 
able, is  this,  the  individual  has  wickedly 
resisted  the  very  last  and  greatest  means 
that  infinite  wisdom  has  thought  fit  to  ap- 
point for  the  salvation  of  mankind ;   there- 


21 


fore,  having  resisted  the  last  remedy,  he 
must  continue  impenitent,  unpardoned,  un- 
regenerated,  and  at  the  last  day,  be  eter- 
nally banished  from  God  and  the  glory  of 
his  power 

Thirdly.  I  shall  briefly  examine  all 
those  texts,  which  have  been  taken  to  prove 
that  living  men  may  have  committed  un- 
pardonable sin,  or  lived  out  their  day  of 
grace.     And, 

1.  That  well  known  text  in  Genesis  vi, 
3.  where  it  is  said  "My  Spirit  shall  not  al- 
ways sti  ive  with  man,"  has  been,  perhaps, 
more  frequently  quoted  than  any  other,  to 
prove  that  men  may  outlive  their  day  of 
grace.  But  it  has  been  very  improperly 
quoted  by  all  that  I  ever  heard  make  this 
use  of  it,  either  in  the  pulpit,  or  elsewhere. 
For,  I  invariably  heard  only  a  detached 
part  of  the  sentence  given;  and,  by  this 
method  of  mangling  the  scriptures,  any 
thing  and  every  thing  may  be  proved  that 
ever  was  invented  by  the  wildest  imagination 
of  man.  The  wholesentence  runs  thus: — 
"And  the  Lord  said,  My  Spirit  shall  not 
always  strive  with  njan,  for  that  he  also  is 
flesh;  yet  his  days  shall  be  an  bundled  and 
twenty   years."     Who,  of  common   intel- 


22 

Icct,  does  not  see  at  once  that  this  related 
to  the  'antediluvians  exclusively,  and  cannot 
be  reo;arded  as  of  general  or  universal  ap- 
plication, without  doing  violence  to  the 
text.  There  is  no  more  ground  for  apply- 
ing the  former  part  of  this  text  in  the  pre- 
sent day,  than  there  is  for  the  application 
of  the  latter  to  piove  that  men  will  live  an 
hundred  and  twenty  years.  If  any  thing 
can  be  proved  by  the  passage,  in  the  pre- 
sent age,  it  is  that  the  Spirit  will  continue 
to  strive  with  men  all  the  days  of  their  life. 
The  true  meaning  of  the  passage  appears 
to  be  something  like  this: — God  was  so 
grieved  with  the  wickedness  of  that  gene- 
ration, that  he  was  determined  they  should 
not  live  to  die  a  natural  death,  according  to 
the  common  course  of  nature,  but  to  cut 
them  off  the  stage  of  time  by  the  flood. 
Yet  he  compassionately  extended  their  pro- 
bationary state  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years,  at  the  expiration  of  which,  they  were 
to  be  swept  off  the  face  of  the  earth  by  the 
universal  inundation,  if  they  did  not  repent. 
Consequently,  there  is  nothing  in  this  place 
to  even  insinuate  that  the  Spirit  will  dis- 
continue its  operations  on  the  hearts  of  the 


23 


worst  of  meji,  at  any  time  previous  to  their 
death. 

2.  The  following  passage  in  the  first 
chapter  of  the  book  of  Proverbs  from  the 
24th  verse  to  the  28th,  inclusive,  has  often 
been  quoted  to  prove  that  men  may  arrive 
at  such  a  state  of  wickedness  that  God  will 
abandon  them  to  irremediable  and  eternal 
hardness  of  heart  long  before  the  day  of 
their  death.  ^'•Because  I  have  called,  and 
ye  refused,  I  have  stretched  out  my  hand, 
and  no  man  regarded ;  but  ye  have  set  at 
nought  all  my  council,  and  would  none  of 
my  reproof;  1  also  will  laugh  at  your  cala- 
mity; I  will  mock  when  your  fear  cometh; 
when  your  fear  cometh  as  desolation,  and 
your  destruction  cometh  as  a  whirlwind; 
when  distress  and  anguish  cometh  upon 
you.  Then  shall  they  call  upon  me,  but  I 
will  not  answer,  they  shall  seek  me  early, 
but  they  shall  not  find  me."  This  whole 
paragraph  has  been  awfully  perverted  by 
all  those  who  applied  it  to  the  state  of  an 
humble  penitent  calling  on  God  for  the  sal- 
vation of  the  soul.  It  never  was  intended 
by  the  inspired  penman,  to  relate  to  the 
saving  of  the  soul;  but,  to  the  deliverance 
of  the  body  from  the  hand  of  juistice.     It 


24 

unquestionably  relates  to  those  miserable 
wretches  described  from  the  11th  to  the 
19th  verse  of  this  chapter,  who,  having 
been  arrested  by  the  civil  law  in  their 
course  of  rapine  and  profligacy  are  brought 
by  public  justice  to  suffer  temporal  death. 
In  this  case  they  may  cry  in  vain  to  be  de- 
livered, but  God  will  not  hear,  but  let  them 
suffer  temporally  the  just  reward  of  their 
deeds.  But,  even  under  these  circumstan- 
ces, if  they  would  cry  sincerely  to  God  for 
the  salvation  of  their  souls,  with  truly  peni- 
tent hearts,  he  would  undoubtedly  extend 
mercy  to  them.  This  view  of  the  subject 
is  given  by  Dr.  Clarke,  in  his  notes  on  the 
place. 

3.  The  following  words  from  Isaiah  vi. 
9,  10,  are  supposed  to  prove  incontestably 
that  the  Almighty  God  sometimes  hardens 
the  sinner's  heart,  so  as  to  render  it  abso-- 
lately  impossible  for  him  to  repent  of  his 
crimes,  and  turn  to  the  path  of  obedience. 
"Go  and  tell  this  people.  Hear  ye,  indeed, 
but  understand  not;  see  ye  indeed,  but  per- 
ceive not.  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  ^ 
fat,  and  make  their  ears  heavy,  and  shut 
their  eyes;  lest  they  see  with  their  eyes, 
and  hear  with  their  ears,  and  understand^ 


25 


Vvith  their  heart,  find  convert,  stid  be  heal- 
ed." These  words  are  cited  in  Matt.  xiii. 
U,  15;  Markiv.  12;  Luke  viii.  10;  Johrl 
xii.  39,  40;  Acts  xxviii.  25—21',  Rom. 
viii.  1 1 ;  where  they  always  relate  to  the 
Jews,  as  a  people  under  precisely  the  same 
circumstances  In  all  these  cases  we  see 
the  necessary  effects  produced  by  rejecting 
the  word  of  God.  Every  degree  of  the  re- 
velation of  God  to  mankind,  in  every  age 
of  the  world,  produces  either  a  good  or  a 
bad  effect  upon  the  human  heart.  And 
the  nature  of  these  effects  entirely  depends 
on  the  way  in  which  it  is  received  by  men. 
The  divine  word  invariably  proves  to  be 
either  the  savour  of  life  unto  life  or  of  death 
unto  death,  to  all  those  who  hear  it.  If  it 
be  received  by  faith  in  a  docile  heart,  it  will 
produce  the  most  salutary  effects.  But  if 
it  be  rejected  it  will  darken  the  mind,  har- 
den the  heart,  and  prepare  the  individual 
for  eternal  destruction.  This  is  all  the 
passages,  just  referred  to,  can  be  legHimate- 
ly  taken  to  prove;  therefore,  it  is  highly 
improper  to  infer  from  any  one  of  them  the 
possibility  of  living  out  the  day  of  grace,  or 
3 


26 


that  God  directly  hardens  the  heart  or  blinds 
the  eyes  of  any  man. 

"No  evil  can  from  God  proceed  ; 
T'was  only  suffer'd,  not  decreed, 
As  darkness  is  not  from  the  sun, 
Nor  mounts  the  shades  till  it  is  gone." 

4.  It  has  been  supposed  that  the  words 
in  Hosea,  iv.  17,  "Ephraim  is  joined  to  his 
idols,  let  him  alone,"  may  be  taken  to  prove 
that  God  does  utterly  forsake  some  egre- 
gious sinners  in  this  life,  and  never  more 
afford  them  one  single  ofifer  of  mercy.  But 
if  such  expounders  of  scripture  vs^ouU  read 
the  prophecy  throughout,  they  would  find 
that  God  immediately  after  (chap.  xi.  8.) 
says,  "How  shall  I  give  thee  up,  Ephraim." 
And  again,  (verse  9.)  "I  will  not  return  fo 
destroy  Ephraim;  for  I  am  God,  and  not 
man."  And  furthermore,  (chap.  xiv.  verse 
8.)  Ephraim  is  represented  as  saying,  "what 
have  I  to  do  any  more  with  idols-"  How 
then  can  the  doctrine  of  unpardonable  sin 
be  drawn  from  the  condition  of  Ephraim? 
The  fact  is,  the  contrary  doctrine  is  ii^cul- 
cated  in  almost  every  page  of  the  book. 
Let  no  one  in  future  infer  from  this  text  a 
doctrine  so  glaringly  at  variance  with  the 


•27 


character  of  Ephraim,  and  the  whole  spirit 
of  the  prophesy. 

5.  Our  Lord's  words  when  weeping  over 
the  approaching  desolation  of  Jerusalem, 
Luke  xix,  42,  where  he  said,  "If  thou  hadst 
known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day, 
the  things  which  belong  unto  thy  peace; 
but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes," 
have  been  considered  as  a  positive  proof 
that  the  Jews  lived  out  their  day  of  grace. 
And  it  is  inferred  that  if  they  did  so,  others 
may  do  so  too;  hence  the  doctrine  is  estab- 
lished at  once.  But.  by  paying  a  little  at- 
tention to  the  connexion  of  the  whole  pas- 
sable, from  which  the  above  is  taken,  we 
will  see  that  the  whole  discourse  related  to 
the  political  state  of  their  city  and  nation, 
and  not  to  their  ecclesiastical  state  by  any 
means.  At  this  time  their  temporal  over- 
throw was  so  fixed  as  to  be  unavoidable, 
while  the  stale  of  their  souls  was  unfixed. 
That  they  were  in  a  state  of  probation  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  is  undeniable,  when 
Peter  commanded  them  every  one  to  re- 
pent and  receive  the  remission  of  their  sins 
through  faith  in  the  atoning  blood.  From 
these  considerations  it  is  very  evident,  that 
nothing  can  be  drawn  from  the  stale  of  the 


me        1 


28 


Jewish  nation  to  prove  that  a?}y  man  can 
be  so  hardened  in  sin  as  to  be  past  the 
mercy  of  God, 

6.  The  words,  (1st  Cor-  iv.  4.)  "In  whom 
the  god  of  this  world  hath  blinded  the  minds 
of  them  that  believe  not,  lest  the  light  of  the 
glorious^  Gospel  of  Christ,  who  is  the  image 
of  God,  should  shine  upon  them,"  were 
thought,  by  some,  to  favor  the  doctrine  of 
living  out  one's  probationary  state.  But 
nothing  of  the  kind  can  be  found  in  this 
place.  By  the  "god"  of  this  world,  I  think, 
we  must  understand  the  prince  of  darkness 
who  is  worshipped  and  obeyed  as  a  god,  by 
thousands  and  millions  of  the  inhabitants  of 
this  world.  This  malevolent  spirit  never 
fails  to  darken  the  minds,  and  harden  the 
hearts,  as  far  as  possible,  of  all  those  who 
reject  the  light  of  the  Gospel.  This  place 
affonls  us  another  example  of  the  dreadful 
etfects  of  resisting  the  grace  of  God,  and 
quenching  the  influence  of  the  Divine  Spi- 
rit; but  we  are  by  no  means  to  infer  that 
the  individual  thus  circumstanced,  is  put 
out  of  a  state  of  probation,  or  rendered  in- 
capable of  turning  to  God,  and  embracing 
all  the  offers  of  Divine  mercy. 

7.  The  words., '-For  this  cause  God  shall 


HL^. 


29 


send  them  strong  delusion;  that  they  should 
believe  a  lie,  that  they  all  might  be  damned 
who  believed  not  the  truth,  but  had  pleasure 
in  unrighteousness," — 2  Thess.  ii.  II,  12, 
are  thought  by  some  to  prove  beyond  the 
possibility  of  a  doubt,  that  some  men  have 
outlived  the  mercy  of  God,  and  their  day  of 
grace  in  this  world.  These  words  are  a 
part  of  the  description  of  a  great  apostacy 
which  the  Apostle  declared  should  take 
place  in  the  latter  days.  But,  as  to  what 
particular  defection  this  referred  to,  or  when 
it  should  take  place,  authors  are  not  agreed. 
Some  think  it  refers  to  the  defection  of  the 
Jewish  nation,  from  their  allegiance  to  the 
Roman  emperor.  Some  are  of  opinion  that 
it  relates  to  the  apostacy  of  the  primitive 
christians,  from  the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel 
to  the  Gnostic  heresy.  While  Dr.  Dodd, 
Dr.  Macknight  and  Bishop  Newton  think 
the  whole  relates  to  the  popes  and  church 
of  Rome.  These  writers  say  that  the  ex- 
pressions, '*Man  of  sin,"  "Son  of  perdi- 
tion," "That  wicked,"  &c.,  clearly  point 
out  the  popes  who  have  overspread  the 
earth  with  deceptions  signs,  lying  wonders, 
damnable  errors  and  delusio.fis:  while  their 
3* 


30 

adherents,  as  a  punishment  for  rejecting 
the  truths  of  Christ,  are  permitted  by  God 
to  believe  the  lies  of  Transubstantiation, 
Infallibility  of  the  Pope,  AVorship  of  the 
host,  Worship  of  images,  Invocation  of 
saints  and  angels,  Purgatory,  &c.  This 
was  permitted  that  they  might  be  punished 
or  condemned  for  their  wilful  apostacy 
from  the  truth,  and  the  deligl)t  they  took  in 
the  practice  of  iniquity.  Whether  these 
celebrated  commentators  hit  precisely  on 
the  true  interpretation  of  this  place  or  not, 
it  is  certain  there  is  nothing  contained  in 
it  that  can  be  legitimately  taken  to  prove 
that  any  man  ever  did,  or  ever  can  live  out 
his  day  of  grace. 

8.  The  next  place  our  attention  is  di- 
rected to,  is,  Heb.  vi.  4 — 6;  ''•For  it  is  im- 
possible for  those  who  were  once  enlight- 
ened, and  have  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift, 
and  were  made  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  have  tasted  the  good  Word  of  God,  and 
the  powers  of  the  world  to  come,  if  they 
shall  fall  away,  to  renew  them  again  unto 
repentance;  seeing  they  crucify  to  them- 
selves the  Son  of  God  afresh,  and  put  him 
to  an  open  shame."  Of  like  import  is  that 
passage,  lleb.  x-  26,  27, — "For  if  we  sin 


31 

wilfully,  after  thai  we  have  received  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  there  remaineth  no 
more  sacrifice  for  sins,  but  a  certain  fearful 
looking  for  of  judgment  and  fiery  indigna- 
tion, which  shall  devour  the  adversaries." 
These  two  paragraphs  are  believed  by  the 
generality  of  commentators  to  refer  to  the 
conduct  of  certain  apostate  Jews  in  the  days 
of  the  Apostles,  and  not  to  backsliders  in 
general.  The  Roman  emperors  were  vio- 
lent enemies  to  the  christians,  and  put  many 
of  them  to  the  most  cruel  death.  They 
promised  pardon  and  exemption  from  pun- 
ishment, to  all  those  who  would  publicly 
renounce  Christianity,  and  declare  openly 
that  Jesus  Christ  was  an  impostor,  and  that 
they  had  been  deluded  by  him.  Many  of 
the  Jews  did  this  in  the  public  assembly. 
And  this  is  what  the  Apostle  calls  "sinning 
wilfully,"  "crucifying  the  Son  of  God 
afresh,"  "putting  him  to  open  shame."  To 
those  who  had  acted  in  this  way,  there  was 
no  more  sacrifice  for  sin:  that  is,  there  was 
no  other  but  the  one  they  had  rejected;  so 
that  there  was  no  alternative  but  a  fearful 
looking  for  of  judgment,  or  to  return  to  the 
same  sacrifice  they  had  openly  blasphemed. 
No  christian  is  in  any  danger  whatever  of 


32 

sinning  in  this  way.  Some  think  the  word 
impossible^  in  ver-  4,  is  too  strong  for  the 
original  word  a^woctov  and  that  the  sense 
of  the  Apostle  would  be  very  well  convey- 
ed, if  the  words  extremely  difficult  were 
substituted.  Then  it  would  read: — "For 
it  is  extremely  difficult  for  those  who  were 
once  enlightened,  &c.  to  renew  them  to  re- 
pentance- If  we  take  the  present  transla- 
tion in  an  absolute  and  literal  sense,  it 
would  go  to  prove  that  no  backslider  could 
be  restored  to  the  favor  of  God,  which  we 
know  is  contrary  both  to  Scripture  and 
experience.  There  is  nothing  in  these 
places  that  need  terrify,  in  any  degree,  any 
sincere  soul,  or  that  can  be  fairly  taken  to 
prove  that  any  man's  probation  terminates 
before  his  death. 

9.  Some  pious  christians  have  been  great- 
ly troubled  in  mind  by  the  following  words, 
Heb.  xii.  16,  17:  "Lest  there  be  any  pro- 
fane person  as  Esau,  who  for  one  morsel  of 
meat,  sold  his  birthright-  For  ye  know 
how  that  afterwards  when  he  would  have 
inherited  the  blessing  he  was  rejected ;  for 
he  found  no  place  of  repentance,  though  he 
sought  it  carefully  with  tears.''  The  only 
difficulty   of  this  place   appears  in  these 


words,  "He  found  no  place  of  repentance, 
though  he  sought  it  carefully  with  tears.*" 
The  meaning  is  this,  he  found  no  place  for 
\m  father  lsaac''s  repentance,  or  change  of 
inind  regarding  the  blessing  which  was 
given  to  Jacob-  Parkhurst  says,  the  word 
^ETavoiar  means,  not  Esau's  repentance,  but 
Isaac's.  Isaac  had  only  one  blessing  to 
give.  It  was  gone.  He  could  not  change 
his  mind  so  as  to  bring  it  back.  There- 
fore, Esau  must  necessarily  be  rejected. 
But  our  heavenly  Father  has  an  inexhaust- 
ible fulness  of  mercy  for  all  his  people. 
"So  that  none  need  be  rejected  as  Esau  was. 
Though  millions  of  millions  of  the  human 
race  have  received  the  blessing,  yet  there  is 
enough  for  all  Adam's  posterity,  and  to 
spare.     Hallelujah! 

10.  In  fir^^t  John,  v.  16,  it  is  said,  "There 
is  a  sin  unto  death,  I  do  .not  say  that  ye 
shall  pray  for  it."  This  has  been  suppos- 
ed to  be  the  unpardonable  sin,  or  something 
tantamount  to  it.  But  the  generality  of  in- 
terpreters are  agreed  in  referring  it  to  the 
destruction  of  the  body.  All  sin  is  to  the 
spiritual  death  of  the  soul ;  therefore,  there 
would  be  no  propriety  in  saying  there  was 
a  sin  unto  death,  unless  the  Apostle  intend- 


34 

ed  the  death  of  the  body.  There  are  seve- 
ral sins  which  necessarily  bring  down  the 
constitution,  and  actually  reduce  the  body 
to  the  grave  in  an  untimely  manner, yet  these 
sins,  as  they  relate  to  the  soul,  may  be  for- 
given. This,  or  something  like  this,  I  am 
fully  satisfied,  is  the  meaning  of  the  sin  un- 
to death. 

As  I  have  made  it  evident  by  this  inves- 
tigation, that  no  such  doctrine  can  be  legal- 
ly drawn  from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  as  has 
been  so  zealously  propagated  by  many  good 
mistaken  men,  there  is  no  other  objection 
which  has  come  within  my  knowledge  that 
remains  to  be  answered,  except  that  arising 
from  the  fact  of  some  sinners  dying  in  a 
hard  and  impenitent  state.  Among  these, 
is  Francis  Spira,  who,  it  is  said,  renounced 
the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  as  taught  in  the 
Reformed  churches,  and  openly  subscribed 
to  the  errors  of  Popery  to  avoid  persecu- 
tion* When  he  saw  what  he  had  done,  he 
was  seized  with  a  pungent  sense  of  the  Di- 
vine displeasure,  and  with  awful  remon- 
strances of  conscience,  under  which  he  lan- 
guished five  or  six  weeks,  and  then  died 
in  despair  of  the  mercy  of  God.  All  that 
can  be  properly  said  of  Spira,  and  others 


35 

who  die  in  similar  circumstances  is,  that 
their  views  of  this  subject  arose  from  the 
prejudice  of  cducaliuii  and  the  temptation 
of  the  devil;  and,  what  makes  this  more 
obvious,  is  the  fact,  that  many*  who  thought 

"Among  the  various  instances  of  despairing  chris- 
tians,  recovering  their  confidence  which  have  oc- 
curred under  my  observation,  it  may  not  be  impro- 
per to  mention  one.  In  the  year  1825,  when  travel- 
ling in  Cavan  county,  Ireland,  in  the  discharge  of 

ministerial  duty,  I  became  acquainted  with  Miss 

of ,  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary  intellect,  edu- 
cation and  respectability.  She  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  connexion,  and  had  enjoyed  a  clear 
sense  of  the  favor  of  God  for  several  years;  but,  by 
associating  with  the  vain,  foolish,  and  gay  of  the 
world,  she  lost  all  her  confidence,  fell  into  despair, 
and  thought  she  had  committed  unpardonable  sin,  or 
lived  out  her  day  of  grace,  and  that  it  was  useless  to 
pray  or  make  any  further  effort  in  the  way  of  reli- 
gion. Her  bodily  strength  declined;  sleep  fled  from 
her  eyes;  an  intolerable  burning  in  her  breast,  caus- 
ed perpetual  anxiety  of  the  most  distressing  nature. 
I  reasoned  with  her  concerning  the  extent  of  Divine 
mercy,  the  willingness  of  God  to  save  the  worst  of 
sinners,  and  the  multiplicity  and  extent  of  the  pro- 
mises of  Scripture:  at  the  same  tinie,  I  endeavored 
to  explain  all  those  discouraging  texts  which  perpet- 
ually harassed  her  mind,  from  a  misconception  of 
their  true  signification.  All  my  arguments  at  this 
time  seemed  ineffectual,  and  they  turned  out  to  be 
so;   for,  at  the  expiration  of  six  weeks,  she  was  in 


36 

and  believed  they  had  committed  the  un- 
pardonable sin,  or  sinned  away  their  day  of 
grace,  were  afterwards  recovered  through 
faith  in  the  Redeemer,  so  as  to  enjoy  a 
sense   of  the  favor  of  God,  and  a  well 

precisely  the  same  condition.  I  reasoned  with  her 
again  on  the  incorrectness  of  her  ideas  concerning 
the  nature  of  unpardonable  sin,  assuring  her  that  I 
was  firmly  persuaded  there  was  no  such  s«ate  in  this 
life,  but  the  Gospel  was  one  continual  scene  of  mer- 
cy, open  to  all  men  of  every  sort,  as  long  as  they 
live  in  this  world.  I  endeavored  to  persuade  her  to 
pray  three  times  a  day  in  secret,  till  I  would  see  her 
again«  She  promised  me  to  do  so.  Accordingly 
she  did  so :  and,  in  a  few  weeks  all  her  mental  dark- 
ness and  despondency  vanished  away,  joy  and  peace 
pervaded  her  mind,  and  the  light  of  the  Sun  of 
righteousness  shone  more  luminously  on  her  heart 
than  ever.  Her  bodily  health  and  strength  imme- 
diately returned.  She  afterwards  became  the  com- 
panion and  partaker  of  the  joys  and  sorrows  ot  the 

Rev.   Wm.   H .     And  now  she  faithfully  and 

respectably  discharges  those  duties  and  responsibili- 
ties necessarily  connected  with  her  situation  in  the 
church.  The  more  I  examine  this  subject,  I  am  the 
more  fully  convinced  that  the  doctrine  of  unpardon- 
able sin,  or  living  out  the  day  of  grace,  as  it  is  com- 
monly understood,  is  a  highly  dangerous  doctrine, 
and  has  been  the  means  of  ruining  many  souls  eter- 
nally. Whenever  a  man  believes  he  can  live  out 
his  day  of  grace,  immediately  on  his  backsliding  in 
any  degree,  or  declining  in  his  religious  experience, 


37 

grounded  hope  of  eternal  life.  There  is 
ground  for  hope  and  a  possibility  of  par- 
don, as  long  as  life  remains  in  the  body. 

"Even  Judas  struggles  his  despair  to  quell, 
Hope  blossoms  almost  in  the  shades  of  hell." 

Fourthly.  I  shail  produce  a  variety  of 
arguments  fropi  Scripture  and  reason,  to 
establish  the  fact  that  no  man  ever  did,  or 
ever  can,  outlive  his  day  of  grace  by  the 
commission  of  any  sin  or  blasphemy  what- 
ever.    And, 

1.  I  shall  produce  some  arguments  from 
the  Holy  Scriptures. 

The  atonement  which  was  made  by  the 
death  and  resurrection  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  was  designed  to  ex- 
piate the  guilt  of  all  the  posterity  of  Adam, 
without   respect  to  person,   age    or    sex. 

the"  devil  tempts  him  to  think  he  has  lived  out  his  day 
of  grace,  there  is  no  mercy  for  him,  the  time  is  past, 
&;c.  &c.  The  object  of  the  tempter  is  to  prevent 
him  from  praying  and  using  the  means  of  grace,  as 
he  is  well  aware  this  is  the  only  effectual  way  of  de- 
stroying the  soul  eternally.  If  all  believed  there 
was  no  unpardonable  state  in  this  life,  which  is  the 
true  state  of  the  case,  the  tempter  would  be  defeat- 
ed on  this  ground,  and  all  could  seek  the  favor  of 
God  with  some  degree  of  confidence. 
4 


38 


This  doctrine,  I  apprehend,  is  clearly  set 
forth  in  the  following  Scriptures: — "That 
he,  (Jesus)  by  the  grace  of  God,  should  taste 
death  for  every  man,"  Heb.  ii.  9.  "Who 
gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  testifi- 
ed in  due  time,"  1  Tim.  ii.  6.  "We  trust  in 
the  living  God,  who  is  the  Saviour  of  all 
men,  specially  of  them  that  believe,"  1 
Tim.  iv.  10.  "He  {Christ)  is  the  propitia- 
tion for  our  sins,  and  not  for  ours  only,  but 
also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,"  1 
John  ii.  2,  If,  then,  there  is  such  ample 
provision  made  in  the  economy  of  grace  for 
all  the  sins  of  all  men,  without  relation  to 
magnitude,  number,  or  quality,  it  necessa- 
rily follows  that  no  sin  can  be  so  great  as 
to  extend  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  atone- 
ment. Therefore,  there  is  no  reason,  on 
the  part  of  the  great  sacrifice  for  sin,  that 
can  be  assigned,  why  any  sinner  should  not 
be  pardoned. 

The  Gospel  of  our  blessed  Saviour  was 
declared  by  an  angel  trom  heaven  to  be 
good  news,  or  glad  tidings  to  all  people — 
Luke  ii.  10.  Now  if  the  Gospel  contains 
good  nows  to  all  people,  indiscriminately, 
without  regard  to  the  nature  or  turpitude 
of  their  crimes  in  the  sight  of  Heaven,  it 


39 


unquestionably  follows  that  there  is  good 
news,  even  the  news  of  pardon  in  the  Gos- 
pel, to  all  those  who  have  lived  out  their 
day  of  grace,  if  any  such  characters  can  be 
found  on  the  earth. 

All  sinners  of  every  description  are  in- 
vited and  exhorted  by  the  most  powerful 
arguments,  motives  and  inducements,  ima- 
ginable, by  the  holy  prophets,  to  turn  from 
the  practice  of  sin  to  serve  the  living  God, 
which  is  irreconcileable  with  the  doctrine 
of  living  out  a  day  of  grace,  inasmuch  as 
these  invitations  extend  to  all  the  living. 
Hear  the  prophet  Isaiah,  ^'Wash  you, 
make  you  clean;  put  away  the  evil  of  your 
doings  from  before  mine  eyes;  cease  to  do 
evil;  learn  to  do  well,"  Isaiah  i.  6.  Again, 
"Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  ways,  and  the 
unrighteous  man  his  thoughts;  and  let  him 
return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have 
mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our  God  for  he 
will  abundantly  pardon,'  Isaiah  Iv.  7. 
Hear  the  heart-moving  language  of  the  Al- 
mighty himself,  on  this  subject:  "As  I  live, 
saith  the  Lord,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the 
death  of  the  wicked,  but  that  the  wicked 
turn  from  his  way  and  live;  turn  ye,  turn 
ye,  from  your  evil  ways;  for  why  will  ye 


40 


die,  6  house  of  Israel,"  Ezek.  xxxiii.  11. 
From  these  Scriptures,  I  think  it  is  obvi- 
ous the  worst  of  sinners  may  turn  to  God; 
if  so,  those  who  have  committed  unpardon- 
able sin,  or  who  have  lived  out  their  day  of 
grace,  may  turn,  for  they  are  undoubtedly 
included  in  the  worst  of  sinners. 

We  are  informed  in  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures, that  God  has  commanded  all  men 
every  where  to  repeat.  Acts  xvi.  30.  The 
man  who  has  lived  out  his  term  of  proba- 
tion is  included  in  the  number  of  all  men. 
It  must  be  conceded  on  all  hands,  that  the 
Supreme  Being  never  gave  a  command,  but 
he  gave  power  to  obey  it.  Consequently, 
all  that  live  upon  the  earth  every  where, 
have  power  to  repent.  Hence  it  follows, 
that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  living  out 
one's  day  of  grace,  because  it  continues  as 
long  as  he  lives.  It  may  be  necessary 
here  to  remark,  that  the  original  word 
Xaj*?  translated  "grace,"  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, is  derived  from  x«*?"  to  rejoice^  or 
x«i«  j^2/>  ^^^  generally  signifies  favor, 
whether  with  God  or  man.  When  this 
word  is  employed  concerning  God  or  Christ, 
it  generally  relates  to  the  free  and  unbound- 
ed mercy  of  the  Deity,  manifested  in  the 


u 

redemption   and   salvation   of  man.      See 
John,    i.    14;  Acts,  xiv.    3,    xv.    11,  40, 
XX.  24,  32;  Rom.  iii.  24,  v.  3,  15;  Ephe. 
ii.  8  .      The    word  sometimes  means  the 
written  Scriptures,  particularly  in  the  fol- 
lowing places,  because  they  spring  from  the 
unmerited  goodness   of  God; — Col.  i.  6; 
Titus,  ii.  1 1.    But  it  more  frequently  means 
the  Gospel  dispensation.     See  the  follow- 
ing places: — John,  i.  17;  Rom.  v.  20,  vi. 
14;   1  Peter,  v.  12.     Dr.  Hammond,  in  his 
Commentary  on  the  New'^festament,  says 
that  the  word  grace  most  commonly  signi- 
fies the   Gospel  dispensation,  and  affirms 
tha^,  to  be  under  the  law,  means  to  be  un- 
der the  Jewish  dispensation,  and  to  be  un- 
der grace,  means  to   be    under  the   Gos- 
pel dispensation.    If,  by  the  popular  phrase, 
"day  of  grace,*'  we  are  to  understand  the 
enjoyment  of  the  Divine  approbation,  we 
will  readily  admit  that  a   man    may    live 
it  out;  for,  he   may  commit  sin,  and  there- 
by fall  away,  so  as  to  lose  the  approbation 
of  Heaven.     But,  if  by  the  phrase  we  are 
to  understand  the  mercy  of  God  as  offered 
in  the  Gospel  to  all  sinners,  which  must  be 
its  proper  signification,  we  cannot  admit 


42 


that  atiy  man  can  outlive  it  The  Gospel 
dispensation  and  day  of  grace  are  synony- 
mous phrases,  signifying  precisely  the  sanoe 
thing-  The  Gospel  dispensation  commenc- 
ed at  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish  econo- 
my, and  will  continue  till  the  end  of  the 
world.  Consequently,  there  is  no  other 
way  of  getting  out  of  the  Gospel  day,  or 
day  of  grace,  but  by  going  into  another 
world,  which  it  is  likely  no  man  in  his 
senses  will  wish  to  happen  sooner  than  the 
common  course  of  nature  would  dictate. 

It  is  expressly  declared  by  the  lip  of 
truth,  that  whosoever  shall  call  on  the 
name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  delivered — 
Joel,  ii.  32.  These  words  were  quoted 
by  Peter — Acts,  ii.  21  ;  and  by  Paul, 
Rom.  X.  13.  Furthermore  our  blessed  Sa- 
viour has  said,  "Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given 
you;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find;  knock,  and  it 
shall  be  opened  unto  you;  for  every  one 
that  asketh  receiveth,  and  he  that  seeketh 
findeth;  and  to  him  that  knocketh,  it  shall 
be  opened;''  Matt  vii.  7,  8.  See  Luke  xi. 
9,  10.  On  these  texts  it  may  be  observed: 
1st.  The  salvation  of  the  soul  is  suspend- 
ed on  the  condition  of  asking.  2nd.  Every 
man  has  it  in  his  power  to  ask  as  long  as 


43 


he  lives.  3d.  Our  blessed  Saviour  has  de- 
clared, that  all  those  who  ask  shall  receive. 
Therefore,  all  those  who  are  supposed  to 
have  lived  out  their  day  of  mercy  may  yet 
be  saved,  if  tiicy  will  only  couiply  vvith  the 
plain  and  easy  ter.^iis  of  the  Gospel,  which 
is  to  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

The  parable  of  the  talents  (Matt,  xxv.) 
furnishes  us  with  a  proof  that  man  is  in  a 
state  of  probation  all  his  life.  This  is  clear- 
ly manifest  in  the  case  of  the  man  who  had 
one  talent-  lie  buried  it  in  the  earth; 
therefore,  it  was  in  his  possession  tiH  the 
time  of  the  general  reckoning,  for  he  went 
and  dug  it  up  and  brought  it  to  his  lord. 
This  points  out  the  state  of  the  sinner  in 
this  world.  The  poH^r  of  choosing  what 
is  right  and  of  making  spiritual  improve- 
ment, which  is  given  to  every  man,  re- 
mains in  his  possession  till  the  soul  leaves 
the  body,  then  the  buried  talent,  or  unim- 
proved power  of  doing  good,  must  be  given 
up. 

The  Almighty  God  who  is  unchangable 
in  his  nature,  in  former  times  graciously 
hearkened  to  the  prayers  of  some  of  the 
vilest  characters  that  ever  lived,  and  deli- 
vered them.     Manasseh,  who  deluged  the 


44 


streetr  of  Jerusalem  with  innocent  blood, 
2  Kings,  xxi.  16,  found  mercy  when  he 
called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  2  Chron. 
xxxiii.  19,  and  was  saved  from  the  guilt 
and  punishment  of  all  his  sins.  Mary 
Magdalene,  who  was  possessed  of  seven 
devils,  found  mercy  and  forgiveness.  A 
Ihief  onthe  cross,  suffering  the  temporal  pun 
ishment  due  to  his  crimes,  found  pardon 
and  regeneration  a  few  minutes  before  he 
entered  into  the  eternal  world.  These  are 
heart  cheering  instances  of  the  inconceiva- 
ble mercy  and  benevolence  of  an  infinite 
God.  While  these  facts  are  kept  in  view, 
let  it  be  remembered  that  there  is  not  a 
single  instance  on  record,  of  any  one  being 
rejected,  who  sought  the  Lord  with  all  his 
heart,  even  in  his  last  moments. 

2.  The  circumstance  of  being  in  an  un- 
pardonable state,  or  having  no  power  to 
turn  to  God,  is  inconsistent  with  the  free- 
dom of  the  human  will. 

That  the  will  of  man  is  free  cannot  be 
denied  by  any  one  who  understands  the 
morality  of  the  Gospel.  If  the  will  is  not 
free,  there  can  be  no  such  thing  in  the 
world  as  vice  or  virtue.  But  that  there 
are  such  things  as  vice  and  virtue  resulting 


45 

from  the  freedom  of  the  will,  is  manifest 
from  the  Lord's  words  to  Cain,  where  he 
said,  "If  thou  doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be 
accepted?  and  if  thou  doest  not  well,  sin 
lieth  at  the  door,"  Gen.  iv.  7.  The  doc- 
trine of  the  freedom  of  the  will  stands  very 
prominently  throughout  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures. Joshua,  in  addressing  the  Jews, 
said,  "Choose  you  this  day  whom  you  will 
serve,"  Jos.  xxiv.  15-  David  said,  "I 
have  chosen  thy  precepts,"  Psalms,  cxix. 
173.  Our  blessed  Lord  said  that,  "Mary 
had  chosen  that  good  part,"  Luke,  x-  42. 
And  he  affirmed  that  the  Jews  would  not 
come  to  him  that  they  might  have  life,  John, 
V.  40.  Paul  sets  this  in  a  strong  point  of 
view  in  writing  to  the  Romans.  "Know 
ye  not,"  said  he,  "that  to  whom  ye  yield 
yourselves  servants  to  obey  his  servants,  ye 
are  to  whom  ye  obey;  whether  of  sin  unto 
death,  or  of  obedience  unto  righteousness," 
Rom.  vi.  ]6.  As  the  will  of  man  was  made 
free  by  God  at  the  beginning,  it  must  ne- 
cessarily remain  free,  as  the  Almighty  never 
will  undo  any  thing  he  has  done.  Nor  can 
all  the  sin  that  was  ever  committed  deprive 
the  soul  of  this  faculty.  To  suppose  that 
it  could,  would  be  unphilosophical,  as  it 


4» 


would  make  the  effect  greater  than  the 
cause.  Sin,beiugthe  act  of  the  soul,  could 
never  deprive  it  of  any  essential  property, 
for  that  would  be  to  make  the  soul  capable 
of  destroying  itself.  If  we  admit  that  sin 
can  destroy  one  faculty  or  property  of  the 
soul,  why  not  another,  and  another,  and  so 
go  on  till  it  would  be  entirely  annihilated. 
Sin  brings  moral  guilt  on  the  soul,  but  it 
never  did,  it  never  can  destroy  freedom  of 
will.  Therefore,  as  the  Gospel  is  address- 
ed to  all  men  indiscriminately,  and  as  sin 
can  never  destroy  the  power  of  choosing,  it 
follows  that  the  oldest  and  worst  of  sinners 
may  choose  to  comply  with  the  requisitions 
of  the  Gospel,  and  obtain  mercy  at  the  hand 
of  a  merciful  God. 

3.  The  doctrine  of  living  out  the  day  of 
grace  is  inconsistent  with  a  state  of  proba- 
tion. 

That  the  human  family  are  in  a  state  of 
trial  in  this  world,  previous  to  their  enter- 
ing upon  an  unchangable  state  in  the  world 
to  come,  is  very  obvious  from  the  general 
tenor  of  Holy  Writ-  They  have  received  a 
law  from  the  great  Lawgiver  of  the  uni- 
verse, which  they  are  to  observe  with  parti- 
cular solicitude,  for  he  has  said,  "Obey  my 


47 

voice,  and  I  will  be  your  God,  and  ye  shall 
be  my  people,"  Jer-  vii.  23.  He  has  nnore- 
over  said,  "At  what  instant  I  shall  speak 
concerning  a  nation,  and  concerning  a  king- 
dom, to  pluck  up,  and  to  pull  down,  and  to 
destroy  it;  if  that  nation,  against  whom  I 
have  pronounced,  turn  from  their  evil,  I  will 
repent  of  the  evil  that  I  thought  to  do  unto 
them.  And  at  what  instant  I  shall  speak 
concerning  a  nation,  and  concerning  a  king- 
dom, to  build  and  to  plant  it;  If  it  do  evil 
in  my  sight,  that  it  obey  not  my  voice,  then 
I  will  repent  of  the  good,  wherewith  I  said 
I  would  benefit  them,''  Jer.  xviii.  7 — 10. 
Again,  "Have  I  any  pleasure  at  all  that  the 
wicked  should  die?  saith  the  Lord  God: 
and  not  that  he  should  return  from  his  ways, 
and  live?"  Ezek.  xviii.  23.  Again, "When 
a  righteous  man  turneth  away  from  his 
rigeteousness,  and  commiteth  iniquity,  and 
cTieth  in  them;  for  his  iniquity  that  he  hath 
done  shall  he  die."  Again,  "When  the 
wicked  man  turneth  away  from  his  wicked- 
ness that  he  hath  committed,  and  doeth  that 
which  is  lawful  and  right,  he  shall  save  his 
soul  alive,"  Ezek.  xviii.  26, 27.  Our  bless- 
ed Saviour  has  declared,  with  more  than  or- 
dinary emphasis,  that,  "the  hour  is  coming 


48 


in  which  all  that  are  in  their  graves  shall 
hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth;  they 
that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection 
of  life;  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto 
the  resurrection  of  damnation,''  John,  v. 
28,  29.  St.  Paul  declares  that,  "we  must 
all  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ,''  Rom.  xiv.  10.  From  these  Scrip- 
tures it  is  very  manifest,  that  mankind  have 
a  Divine  law,  and  that  they  are  left,  in  a 
great  measure,  to  act  as  they  please  during 
the  course  of  their  lives  in  this  world.  But 
there  is  a  day  appointed  in  which  their  cha- 
racter and  conduct  shall  De  scrupulously 
investigated  by  an  omniscient  and  impartial 
Judge,  at  the  bar  of  inexorable  justice,  when 
the  approved  shall  be  rewarded  with  ever- 
lasting life,  and  the  disapproved  punished 
with  everlasting  destruction-  Now,  as  the 
righteous  and  wicked  are  left  to  act  accord- 
ing to  the  volition  of  their  own  will,  I  can- 
not see  any  reason  for  believing  that  the  lat- 
ter will  be  deprived  of  this  power  long  be- 
fore death,  while  the  former  are  permitted 
to  retain  it,  especially  as  this  course  is  at 
variance  with  the  benevolence  and  mercy 
of  God.  If  the  probationary  state  of  the 
righteous    would    terminate    long    before 


49 

death,  and  that  of  the  wicked  extend  till 
death,  it  would  be  much  more  in  accord- 
ance with  the  notions  w^e  have  of  the  Di- 
vine goodness, as  it  would  give  both  a  great- 
er chance  of  obtaining  eternal  happiness. 
The  principles  of  equity,  in  my  humble  es- 
timation, require  that  the  probation  of  each 
should  be  of  equal  duration;  that  is,  they 
should  each  extend  to  death,  or  each  ter- 
minate long  before  death.  But  the  whole 
current  of  Scripture  goes  to  exhort  the  most 
perfect  christian  in  this  life  to  persevere  to 
the  end — to  fear  lest  they  fail  of  the  grace 
of  God — to  grow  in  grace — to  hold  fast 
lest  any  one  take  their  crown.  Now  I 
think  we  may  rationally  conclude,  that,  as 
the  most  perfect  christian  is  in  danger  of 
falling  away  all  his  life,  the  most  egregious 
sinner  is  capable  of  turning  to  God  as  long 
as  he  lives.  If  this  is  not  so,  the  prince  of 
darkness  has  a  greater  advantage  in  secur- 
ing subjects  than  the  Prince  of  light  has, 
though  the  former  is  a  lawless  intruder, 
while  the  latter  is  the  rightful  proprietor. 
Furthermore,  where  there  is  a  law,  it  was 
framed  to  suit  the  capacity  of  subjects,  and 
given  with  a  design  to  be  kept.  If  any 
5 


50 

man  cannot  do  good,  it  is  certain,  he  can 
do  no  evil.  If  he  can  do  evil,  it  is  certain 
he  can  do  good;  for,  evil  is  nothing  but  a 
wilful  violation  of  the  law  which  he  had 
power  to  keep. 

4.  The  doctrine  of  unpardonable  sin  is 
inconsistent  with  the  Divine  mission  of  the 
ministry. 

To  make  this  evident,  it  may  be  observ- 
ed that,  when  the  great  Head  of  the  Church 
sent  his  Apostles  forth  to  evangelize  the 
world,  that  he  commanded  them  to  go  and 
teach  all  nations,  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  "To 
go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gos- 
pel to  every  creature,"  Mark,  xvi.  15.  Now 
the  mission  of  all  true  Gospel  ministers 
must  be  equally  extensive  with  that  of  the 
Apostles;  not  confined  or  limited  in  any 
respect  with  regard  to  any  condition,  age, 
sex,  or  circumstance  whatever.  If  a  preach- 
er of  the  Gospel  believe  the  doctrine  of 
living  out  a  day  of  grace,  he  must  be  great- 
ly embarrassed  in  making  his  Gospel  invi- 
tations general,  as  he  does  not  know  but 
the  half  of  his  audience  may  have  lived  out 
their  day  of  grace,  and  consequently  be  in 
an  unpardonable  state.  For,  if  we  once 
admit  that  a  man  may  end  his  probation 


51 


one  minute  before  his  death,  we  know  not 
where  to  stop.  For  instance,  if  a  man  can 
terminate  his  probation  one  hour  before 
death,  why  not  one  day?  and  if  one  day, 
why  not  one  year?  and  if  one  year,  why 
not  ten?  and  if  ten,  why  not  thirty,  or  any 
other  number  of  years?  And  if  we  admit 
that  one  man  may  conclude  his  probation- 
ary state  long  before  death,  why  not  ten 
men?  and  if  ten,  why  not  ten  thousand? 
and  if  ten  thousand,  why  not  ten  millions? 
So  that  we  have  no  certainty  that  the  one- 
half  of  mankind  have  it  in  their  power  to 
embrace  the  Gospel,  while  we  do  not  know 
but  the  other  half  are  unalterably  bound  in 
everlasting  chains  nf  darkness,  reserved  to 
the  judgment  of  the  great  day,  though  go- 
ing about  enjoying  the  blessings  of  this 
life.  If  we  admit  the  doctrine  in  the  small- 
est particle,  where  are  we  to  stop?  Who 
has  prescribed  the  bounds  that  we  must  not 
pass?  In  fact,  the  whole  is  a  dangerous 
quagmire,  where  there  is  no  solid  footing. 
If  our  blessed  Saviour  has  commanded  his 
ministers  to  oflfer  salvation  to  all  men  in- 
discriminately, on  the  condition  of  faith, 
which  he  most  assuredly  has  done,  it  cer- 
tainly follows  that  all  men  indiscriminate- 


62 

ly,  may  embrace  it,  if  they  will.  Conse- 
quently, there  is  no  such  thing  in  the  Gos- 
pel dispensation  as  living  out  a  day  of 
grace. 

5.  An  unpardonable  state  in  this  life, 
is  inconsistent  with  the  operations  of  the 
benevolent  attributes  of  the  Deity. 

It  must  be  obvious  that  every  man  liv- 
ing on  the  earth,  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
common  blessings  of  this  life,  in  a  greater 
or  less  degree.  The  luxurious  crops  of 
the  earth — the  riches  of  the  mineral  king- 
doms— the  treasures  of  the  seas — all  the 
winged  and  animal  tribes  of  the  earth — the 
delightful  changes  of  the  seasons,  and  the 
salubrious  breezes  in  the  atmosphere,  are 
all  the  gifts  of  a  beneficent  Creator  to  man- 
kind, generally  designed  to  answer  all  the 
various  purposes  of  food,  raiment,  medi- 
cine, and  mental  contemplation.  The  en- 
joyment of  these  temporal  blessings  is  irre- 
concilable with  that  invincible  hardness  of 
heart  which  irrevocably  binds  the  soul  over 
to  eternal  perdition.  Eternal  hardness  of 
heart  must  be  produced  by  the  operation  of 
Divine  justice.  The  exercise  of  the  attri- 
bute of  justice  can  never  commence  till  the 
exercise  of  mercy  ceases,  because  they  are 


53 

inconsistent  with  each  other  in  their  opera- 
tions. Hence  it  follows  that,  as  all  the  liv- 
ing are  under  the  influence  of  the  attribute 
of  mercy,  justice  has  not  yet  taken  place. 
Consequently,  no  sinner  is  hardened  be- 
yond the  possibility  of  salvation.  This 
sentiment  is  fully  expressed  by  the  Apostle 
Peter,  where  he  says,  that,  "The  long  suf- 
fering of  the  Lord  is  salvation,"  2  Peter, 
iii.  15. 

6.  The  doctrine  of  unpardonable  sin 
carries  with  it  a  misrepresentation  of  the 
nature  and  attributes  of  God. 

To  make  this  evident,  it  is  necessary 
only  to  inquire  into  the  reasons  why  a  sin- 
ner cannot  be  pardoned-  This  must  be 
either  because  of  the  number  or  the  magni- 
tude  of  the  sinner's  crimes.  If  so,  I  wish 
to  know  where,  or  when  did  the  Almighty 
define  the  precise  number  of  sins  that  might 
be  pardoned,  to  which,  if  one  were  added, 
they  would  be  rendered  unpardonable.  Or, 
where  or  when,  did  he  describe  the  exact 
magnitude  of  a  sin  that  is  remissible,  to 
which,  if  one  particle  were  added,  it  would 
be  rendered  irremissible.  If  no  such  defi- 
5* 


54 


nition  can  be  given,  we  are  left  in  great 
darkness  and  doubt  on  this  subject. 

But  if  a  sinner  is  unpardonable,  it  is 
either  because  God  has  not  power  and 
therefore  cannot^  or  because  he  has  not  hve 
to  induce  him  to  do  it,  and  ivill  not  Either 
of  which  suppositions  is  an  unchristian, 
nay,  an  atheistical  misrepresentation  of  his 
nature  and  attributes. 

The  doctrine  is  highly  dishonorable  to  the 
gracious  redeemer  of  mankind,  as  it  repre- 
sents him  as  the  Saviour  of  small,  or  com- 
mon sinners,  but  not  capable  of  saving  the 
vilest  and  the  worst  of  the  human  family. 

The  doctrine  is  a  severe  reflection  on 
the  wisdom  of  God  in  devising  the  plan  of 
man's  salvation;  as  it  exhibits  the  antidote 
as  being  inferior  to  the  disease,  and  not 
sufficient  perfectly  to  cover  it;  whereas,  the 
Sacred  Scripture  declares  that,  where  sin 
abounded,  the  grace  of  God  did  much  more 
abound. 

It  is  an  unjustifiable  imputation  on  the 
mercy  of  God,  representing  him  as  limited 
and  partial  in  the  manifestations  of  his 
mercy;  therefore,  the  doctrine  is  to  be  en- 
tirely discarded.     ButJ 

To  sum  up  the  whole  in  a  few  words,  it 


55 


may  be  observed  that,  nothing  but  a  deep- 
rooted  prejudice,  arising  from  an  erroneous 
education,  in  youth,  could  induce  any  well- 
informed  man  to  believe  or  propagate  the 
doctrine  in  question.  Especially,  when 
we  take  into  consideration  the  declarations 
of  Scripture  which  go  to  affirm,  in  the 
most  positive  terms,  that  the  mercy  of  the 
Most  High  is  over  all  his  works.  And 
that,  he  so  ardently  loved  the  world  of  un- 
godly sinners  in  open  rebellion  against  him, 
as  to  send  his  beloved  Son  from  the  hea- 
venly glory  to  this  little  world,  to  suffer 
poverty,  temptation,  persecution,  pain,  and 
death  of  the  most  ignominious  nature  ever 
invented  by  men  or  demons,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  opening  up  a  new  and  living  way, 
through  which  all  might  pass  to  everlasting 
life.  These  things,  viewed  in  connexion 
with  the  universality  of  the  ministerial  mis- 
sion of  the  Apostles  and  all  other  true  gos- 
pel ministers,  together  with  the  illimitable 
invitations  and  promises  which  abound  in 
the  Scriptures;  the  special  command  of  Al- 
mighty God,  that  all  men  every  where 
should  repent  of  their  iniquities,  and  the 
forbearance  of  God  manifested  in  the  pre- 
servation of  the  lives  of  the  worst  of  men, 


56 

and  the  continuation  of  the  temporal  bene- 
fits of  this  world:  these  things,  I  say,  when 
viewed  together,  may  be  regarded  as  an  ac- 
cumulation of  direct  evidences,  whose  joint 
testimony  goes  to  overthrow  the  doctrine 
of  living  out  the  day  of  grace.  If  these  re- 
vealed truths  be  always  kept  in  view,  they 
will  not  only  banish  that  torturing  despair 
from  the  mind,  that  many  well-meaning 
persons  have  been  afflicted  with,  but  excite 
the  heart  to  emotions  of  gratitude  to  Al- 
mighty God  for  his  boundless  goodness, 
and  inflame  the  devotional  exercises  of  the 
affections  in  the  performance  of  all  religious 
duties. 

Fifthly-  I  shall  deduce  some  inferences 
from  the  whole  subject,  by  way  of  conclu- 
sion and  caution. 

1 .  Injerence.  Hence,  see  the  unbounded 
extent  of  the  atonement  made  by  our  ador- 
able Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  perfectly 
adapted  to  cover  all  the  dark  and  dreadful 
crimes  that  were  ever  perpetrated  by  the 
most  degraded  sons  or  daughters  of  Adam. 
Here  is  a  fountain  where  sins  of  the  most 
crimson  hue  may  be  washed  away.  Though 
thousands  of  millions  now  surround  the 
throne  of  God,  who  were  washed  from 


57 


their  sins  in  this  fountain,  yet  its  virtue 
and  efficacy  are  still  the  same,  ready  to  re- 
ceive all  that  will  come  and  partake  of  its 
heart-cheering  and  soul-renovating  influ- 
ence. 

"It  streams  the  whole  creation's  reach, 

So  plentious  is  the  store; 
Enough  for  all,  enough  for  each, 

Enough  for  evermore." 

2.  Inf.  Hence,  see  the  free,  full,  and  im- 
partial exercise  of  the  benevolence  of  God. 
Truly  his  mercy  is  over  all  his  works,  even 
a  sparrow  cannot  fall  without  his  observa- 
tion. Though  he  dwells  in  the  high  and 
holy  place  he  will  incline  his  ear  to  the 
sighs,  groans,  cries,  and  tears  of  the  most 
wretched,  sinful  and  degraded  of  the  human 
family,  so  as  to  raise  them  from  the  verge 
of  hell  to  the  heavenly  kingdom,  where 
they  shall,  throughout  interminable  ages, 
partake  of  the  joys  and  the  pleasures  that 
are  at  his  right  hand  for  evermore. 

3.  Inf,  Hence,  see  the  condition  of  all 
those  wIk)  have  wasted  away  their  precious 
time, their  youth,  their  health,  their  strength, 
and  their  life  in  the  wilful  and  deliberate 
commission  of  those  crimes  which  are  at 


58 


once  dishonoring  to  God,  and  ruinous  to 
their  own  souls.  Such  characters  are  in 
an  awful  condition ;  they  are  hanging  over 
the  centre  of  eternal  perdition,  suspended 
by  the  brittle  thread  of  life.  Their  case 
is  not  yet  hopeless.  The  door  of  mercy  is 
not  yet  shut-  Heaven  may  yet  be  won. 
God,  Christ,  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  an- 
gels that  surround  the  throne,  are  all  wait- 
ing the  return  of  such  sinners.  A  few 
years,  nay  months,  nay  days,  nay,  a  few 
hours,  and  the  final  destiny  may  be  irrevo- 
cably fixed.  O  sinner,  arise  and  cry  migh- 
tily to  God,  and  never  rest  till  you  feel  a 
sense  of  the  Divine  favor,  through  the  aton- 
ing blood,  lest  you  sleep  to  wake  in  the 
flames  of  eternal  fire. 

4  in/I  Caution.  As  this  pamphlet  was 
written  for  the  encouragement  of  those  who 
had  backslidden  from  God,  or  thoughtless- 
ly squandered  away  their  time,  so  as  to  be 
ready  to  give  up  eternally  all  hopes  of  fu- 
ture happiness,  I  think  it  necessary  to  cau- 
tion those  into  whose  hands  it  may  fall, 
lest  they  should  make  an  improper  use  of 
it,  and  thereby  cause  it  to  become  the  sa- 
vour of  death  unto  death  to  their  souls. 
And,  First.  Let  no  one  infer  from  any  thing 


59 


herein  contained,  that  it  is  by  any  means 
prudent,  wise,  or  safe  to  defer  the  salvation 
of  the  soul  till  a  future  time.  Pain  may 
distract,  or  fever  may  phrenzy  the  mind,  in 
the  hour  of  death.  A  blood  vessel  may 
burst  and  extinguish  life  in  an  instant.  We 
are  not  certain  that  we  will  live  one  hour. 
Therefore,  it  is  indispensably  necessary  to 
pay  the  utmost  attention  to  the  salvation  of 
the  soul  at  the  present  time.  Second.  Let 
no  one  infer  from  any  thing  in  this  paper, 
that  he  has  any  liberty  to  commit  sin,  be- 
cause God  can  cut  the  sinner  off  in  an  in- 
stant. He  slew  Korah,  Dothan,  and  Abi- 
rim,  for  their  rebellion.  He  slew  Uzzar 
for  presumptuously  taking  hold  of  the  sa- 
cred ark.  He  slew  Annanias  and  Sapphi- 
ra,  with  a  lie  in  their  mouth.  And  he  smole 
king  Herod  because  he  gave  that  honor  to 
man  which  was  due  to  God.  Therefore, 
let  all  presumptuous  sinners  beware  lest 
the  judgments  of  God  overtake  them  in 
their  crimes.  Now  is  the  time  to  lay  hold 
on. the  mercy  of  God,  even  this  very  hour, 
as  saith  the  Scripture,  "Now  is  the  accept- 
ed time,  and  now  is  the  day  of  salvation." 

And  now  to  God  the  Father,  Creator  of 
the  whole  universe — God  the  Son,  Redeem- 


60 


-er  and  Saviour  of  the  human  family — Godl 
the  Holy  Ghost,  Illuminator,  Sanctifier, 
and  Preserver  of  the  redeemed,  be  ascrib- 
ed, by  angels  and  men,  all  honor,  majesty^ 
glory  and  power,  both  now  and  forever- 
more,  world  without  end.     Amen. 


As  long  as  life  its  term  extends, 
Hope's  blest  dominion  never  ends; 
For  while  the  lamp  holds  on  to  burn, 
The  greatest  sinner  may  return. 

Life  is  the  season  God  hath  given 
To  fly  from  bell,  and  rise  to  heaven; 
That  day  of  grace  fleets  fast  away, 
And  none  its  rapid  course  can  stay. 

The  living  know  that  they  must  die; 
But  all  the  dead  forgotten  lie; 
Their  mem'ry  and  their  name  are  gone, 
Alike  unknowing  and  unknown. 

Their  hatred  and  their  love  are  lost, 
Their  envy  bury'd  in  the  dust; 
They  have  no  share  in  all  that's  done 
Beneath  the  circuit  of  the  sun. 


61 

Then  what  thy  thoughts  design  to  do, 
Still  let  thy  hands  witli  might  pursue; 
Since  no  device  nor  work  is  found, 
Nor  wisdom  underneath  the  ground. 

In  the  cold  grave  to  which  we  haste 
There  are  no  acts  of  pardon  past; 
But  fix'd  the  doom  of  all  remains, 
And  everlasting  silence  reigns. 


THE  CROWN  OF  GLORY. 

I  SAW  the  Saviour's  open  side, 
And  knew  for  me  he  freely  died. 
Then  in  the  dust  fell  all  my  pride, 
While  in  despair  my  spirit  cried, 
I  have  lost  the  crown  of  glory. 

But  still  the  Lord  I  humbly  sought; 
Such  were  the  wonders  he  had  wrought; 
In  darkness  long  I  mourn'd  my  fault; 
Yet  through  the  clouds  sometimes  I  thought 
I  saw  the  crown  of  glory. 

Then  I  look'd  up  with  glad  surprise, 
And  tending  downward  from  the  skies, 
I  saw  my  Lord  with  weeping  eyes, 
Who  said  for  thee  my  sacrifice 
Has  bought  a  crown  of  glory. 

Let  Zion's  sons  with  rapture  sing, 
Loud  hallelujahs  to  their  King; 
6 


62 

While  I  my  cheerful  tribute  bring, 
I  feel  my  soul  is  on  the  wing 

To  gain  the  crown  of  glory. 

In  all  my  trials  deep  and  long, 
My  soul's  reliance  shall  be  strong. 
Through  friends  and  foes  and  right  and  wrong, 
My  Jesus  shall  be  all  my  song, 

Who  gives  the  crown  of  glory. 

Rejoice,  my  friends,  your  God  is  true, 
His  mercy  great  and  ever  new; 
Now  love  presents  a  glorious  view, 
And  soon  in  heav'n  I'll  meet  with  you, 
To  wear  a  crown  of  glory. 

Though  in  a  strange  and  foreign  land. 
You're  in  your  Father's  mighty  hand, 
And  while  you  walk  in  his  command, 
Safe  in  his  love  you'll  firmly  stand, 
And  wear  the  crown  of  glory. 

As  soldiers  who  for  Jesus  fight; 
Take  care  and  keep  your  garments  bright, 
And  march  as  in  your  Captain's  sight. 
And  nobly  chase  the  sons  of  night, 
And  seize  the  crown  of  glory. 

Ye  sons  of  God  attention  pay, 
Cast  off  dull  sloth,  and  watch  and  pray. 
Believe  and  love,  your  God  obey. 
And  so  go  on,  for  that's  the  way. 
To  gain  the  crown  of  glory. 


63 


Methinks  I  see  the  saints  above, 
Through  the  sweet  realms  of  bliss  they  love; 
Now  round  the  heavenly  throne  they  move, 
And  sing  and  shout  redeeming  love, 
And  wear  their  crowns  of  glory. 

And  now  amidst  the  brightest  blaze, 
Upon  the  Saviour's  face  they  gaze, 
And  while  the  sound  of  joy  they  raise, 
Lo!  at  his  feet  in  sweet  amaze, 

They  cast  their  crowns  of  glory. 

Come,  Lord,  and  guide  me  in  the  way; 
Shed  in  my  heart  a  cheerful  ray, 
Now,  now  thy  lovely  face  display, 
And  waft  my  soul  to  endless  day, 
To  wear  the  crown  of  glory. 

Oh!  what  has  Jesus  done  for  me? 
The  thousandth  part  I  cannot  see; 
I'll  still  proclaim  where'er  I  be. 
This  wondrous  grace  divinely  free. 
Which  brings  us  crowns  of  glory. 

And  when  I've  done  the  work  of  faith, 
And  when  I'm  leaving  all  beneath, 
While  in  the  icy  arms  of  death; 
Triumphant  with  my  latest  breath, 
I'll  shout  a  crown  of  glory. 

Let  earthly  kings  with  splendour  shine. 
But  what  are  earthly  crowns  to  mine, 
So  bright,  so  glorious,  so  divine. 
And  O,  my  Lord,  the  praise  be  thine. 
Who  gives  the  crown  of  glory. 


64 

ANGELS. 

All  hail  the  power  of  Jesu's  name! 

Let  angels  prostrate  fall, 
Bring  forth  the  royal  diadem, 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 

Let  high-born  seraphs  tune  the  lyre, 

And  as  they  tune  it  fall 
Before  his  face  who  form'd  their  choir, 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 
• 
Crown  him,  ye  morning  stars  of  light; 

He  fix'd  this  floating  ball; 
Now  hail  the  strength  of  Israel's  might, 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 

JEWS. 

Ye  seed  of  Israel's  chosen  race, 

Ye  ransom'd  of  the  fall. 
Hail  him  who  saves  you  by  his  grace. 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 

Hail  him,  ye  heirs  of  David's  line, 
Whom  David  Lord  did  call; 

The  God  incarnate,  man  divine, 
And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 

GENTILES. 

Ye  Gentile  sinners,  ne'er  forget 
The  wormwood  and  the  gall; 


65 

Go — spread  your  trophies  at  his  feet, 
And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 

Babes,  men  and  sires,  who  know  his  love, 

Or  feel  your  sin  and  thrall; 
Now  join  with  all  the  hosts  above, 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 

MARTYRS. 

Crown  him,  ye  martyrs  of  our  God, 

Who  from  his  altar  call; 
Extol  the  stem  of  Jesse's  rod, 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 

ALL  NATIONS. 

Let  ev'ry  ^indred,  ev'ry  tribe, 

On  this  terrestrial  ball. 
To  him  all  majesty  ascribe. 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 

O  that  with  yonder  sacred  throng, 

We  at  his  feet  may  fall, 
We'll  join  the  universal  song, 

And  crown  him  Lord  of  all. 


Let  saints  on  earth  their  anthems  raise, 
Who  taste  the  Saviour's  grace; 

Let  saints  in  heaven  proclaim  his  praise. 
And  crown  Prince  of  peace. 

6* 


66 

Praise  him  who  laid  his  glory  by, 

For  man's  apostate  race; 
Praise  him  who  stoop'd  to  bleed  and  die, 

And  crown  him  Prince  of  peace. 

Come  rebels,  lay  your  weapons  down; 

Let  war  for  ever  cease, 
Immanuel  for  your  Saviour  own. 

And  crown  him  Prince  of  peace. 

We  soon  shall  reach  the  blissful  shore, 

To  view  his  heavenly  face; 
His  name  for  ever  to  adore. 

And  crown  him  Prince  of  peace. 


O  thou  from  whom  all  goodness  flows, 

I  lift  my  soul  to  thee; 
In  all  my  sorrows,  conflicts,  woes, 

Dear  Lord  remember  me. 

When  guilt  lies  heavy  on  my  heart, 

Thy  merits  are  my  plea; 
My  pardon  seal  and  peace  impart. 

In  love  remember  me. 

Let  not  the  errors  of  my  youth, 

Nor  sins  remembered  be; 
In  mercy  free,  in  grace  and  truth, 

O  Lord  remember  me. 


67 

From  sin''s  defilement  in  my  soul, 

I  long  to  be  set  free; 
To  save,  to  cleanse,  and  make  me  whole, 

Dear  Lord  remember  me. 

If  strong  temptation  fill  my  way, 

Lord  to  my  succour  flee; 
Give  btrength  according  to  my  day, 

For  good  remember  me. 

If  for  my  love  to  thy  dear  name, 

I  should  reproached  be, 
I'll  hail  reproach  and  welcome  shame. 

If  thou  remember  me. 

When  I  draw  near  the  gates  of  death, 

And  meet  the  just  decree. 
Dear  Saviour,  with  my  dying  breath 

I'll  cry  remember  me. 


To  thee  my  God  and  Saviour, 
My  heart  exulting  sings, 

Rejoicing  in  thy  favour. 
Almighty  King  of  kings. 

I'll  celebrate  thy  glory. 
With  all  thy  saints  above. 

And  tell  the  pleasing  story 
Of  thy  redeeming  love. 


68 

And  in  the  morn  when  roses 

Bedeck  the  dewy  East, 
And  when  the  sun  reposes 

Upon  the  o'cean's  breast — 

My  voice  in  supplication, 

Well  pleasing  thou  shalt  hear, 

O!  grant  me  thy  salvation, 
And  to  my  soul  draw  near. 

By  thee  through  life  supported, 
I'll  pass  its  dangerous  road; 

By  angel  bands  escorted, 
Up  to  thy  bright  abode. 

There  cast  my  crown  before  thee; 

Now  all  my  conflicts  o'er, 
And  day  and  night  adore  thee; 

What  can  an  angel  more? 


Hosanna  to  the  Prince  of  light, 
That  clothed  himself  in  clay; 

Enter'd  the  iron  gates  of  death, 
And  tore  their  bars  away. 

Death  is  no  more  the  king  of  dread. 
Since  Christ  our  Lord  arose; 

He  took  the  tyrant's  sting  away. 
And  spoil'd  our  hellish  foes. 


69 

See  how  tlie  conqueror  mounts  aloft, 

And  to  his  Father  flies; 
With  scars  of  honor  in  his  flesh, 

And  triumph  in  his  eyes. 

There  our  exalted  Saviour  reigns ! 

And  scatters  blessings  down; 
Our  Jesus  fills  the  right  hand  seat 

Of  the  celestial  throne. 


Vain  man  thy  fond  pursuits  forbear ! 

Repent !  thy  end  is  nigh ! 
Death  at  the  farthest,  can't  be  far, 

Oh !  think  before  you  die ! 

Reflect — thou  hast  a  soul  to  save ! 

Thy  sins — how  high  they  mount ! 
What  are  thy  hopes  beyond  the  grave  ? 

How  stands  that  dark  account  ? 

Death  enters — and  there's  no  defence  ? 

His  time — there's  none  can  tell ! 
He'll  in  a  moment  call  thee  hence, 

To  heaven,  or  else  to  hell ! 

Thy  flesh,  perhaps  thy  chiefest  care, 
Shall  crawling  worms  consume ! 

But,  Oh  !  destruction  stops  not  here; 
Sin  kills  beyond  the  tomb. 


70 


To-day,  the  Gospel  calls — to-day, 
Sinners,  it  speaks  to  you; 

Let  every  one  forsake  his  way, 
And  mercy  will  ensue. 


How  charming  is  the  place. 
Where  my  redeemer,  God, 

Unveils  the  beauties  of  his  face, 
And  sheds  his  love  abroad  ! 

Not  the  fair  palaces. 

To  which  the  great  resort, 

Are  once  to  be  compared  with  this, 
Where  Jesus  holds  his  court. 

Here  on  the  mercy  seat. 

With  radiant  glory  crown'd; 

Our  joyful  eyes  behold  him  sit, 
And  smile  on  all  around. 

To  him  their  pray'rs  and  cries, 
Each  humble  soul  presents; 

He  listens  to  their  broken  sighs, 
And  soon  supplies  their  wants. 

Give  me,  O  Lord,  a  place 

Within  thy  blest  abode, 
Among  the  children  of  thy  grace, 

The  servants  of  my  God. 


71 

From  all  that's  mortal,  all  that's  vain, 

And  from  this  earthly  clod, 
Arise,  my  soul,  and  strive  to  gain 

Some  fellowship  with  God. 

Say,  what  is  there  below  the  sky, 
Or  all  the  paths  thou'st  trod. 

Can  suit  thy  wishes  or  thy  joys. 
Like  fellowship  with  God? 

Not  life  nor  all  the  toys  of  art. 

Nor  pleasures  flow;ry  road, 
Can  to  my  soul  such  bliss  impart 

As  fellowship  with  God. 

Not  health  nor  friendship  here  below, 
Nor  wealth,  that  golden  load, 

Can  such  delights  and  comforts  show 
As  fellowship  with  God. 

When  I  in  love  am  made  to  bear 

Affliction's  needful  rod. 
Light,  sweet,  and  kind  the  strokes  appear, 

Through  fellowship  with  God. 

In  fierce  temptation's  fiery  blast, 

And  dark  distraction's  road, 
I'm  happy,  if  I  can  but  taste 

Some  fellowship  with  God. 

And  when  the  icy  arms  of  death. 
Shall  chill  my  flowing  blood. 


72 

With  joy  I'll  yield  my  latest  breath, 
In  fellowship  with  God. 

When  I  at  last  to  heav'n  ascend, 
And  gain  that  blest  abode: 

There  an  eternity  I'll  spend 
In  lellowship  with  God. 


In  Gabriel's  hand  a  mighty  stone 
Lies,  a  fair  type  of  Babylon; 
Prophets  rejoice,  and  all  ye  saints, 
God  shall  avenge  your  long  complaints. 

He  said,  and  dreadful  as  he  stood, 
He  sunk  the  millstone  in  the  flood. 
Thus  terribly  shall  Babel  fall, 
And  never  more  be  found  at  all. 


THE   END. 


